You turn on your phone, press the camera button, then hold it up. No, change it, change the angle, change your face, put on more make up, take some off… Put a filter on it…. Make it perfect…

A while ago I wrote a post called Look in the mirror, over a year ago now. It’s not my best post, but I like what it was saying. Thing is, I’m failing at my own challenge, I don’t look in the mirror twice, I look once, I glance at it. I pick out my flaws, and don’t go back to fin the things I love. And now I take pictures, selfies. Pick at the things I hate then take pictures of them.

Everyone does it, you do it, don’t you? You take these pictures, or you look at pictures other people took, you pick out the things you hate. You circle them, you stare at them, you try to fix them…

STOP.

Don’t you dare do that, that is not okay. The fact that people make you so self-concious that you take these amazing things about yourself, things that other people love, things you love on other people, and try to take them away from yourself… Why do we do this to ourselves?

So today I challenge myself, and you, but mainly myself, to not take these pictures… To take one picture, not one hundred, and pick out the things you love, circle those… Imagine the picture is of someone else, look at it from the perspective of a complete stranger. They’re amazing aren’t they? All those things you hated before? Someone loves, you should love… So don’t take those pictures, the ones you hate, circling the things that make you you and trying to blot them out.

Remember that someone loves the things you hate, and stop taking selfies just to point out your flaws.

She knows that Geek + Model = a whole new set of graffiti on your belongings.

And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

But Harriet doesn’t know where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives. And with her summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get away.

Can Harriet cope with the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes?

Will geek girl find her place on the other side of the world?

I really loved the first book, and this is just more of the same…

The plot is really fun to read, I thought it played out very well and was really interesting. There’s quite a lot in the plot and I felt that she paced it very well.

The writing is really good, it’s paced really well. It’s silly and funny and so enjoyable. I loved the characters, I think they were well thought out, although I would have liked to see more of a back ground for some of them… I like Harriet, she’s clumsy and silly. She stay’s completely true to herself, even though she’s trying not to…

The dialogue is really good, they sound like real people.

I loved the voice of this book. I just think it suited Harriet perfectly. It seemed to just be her, I don’t know…

I really enjoyed it. I can’t remember how long it took to read, but it wasn’t that long… It’s really funny, and silly. I find Harriet so endearing I just want to find out what she does next.

I love the cover for this book, and the last one actually. I think they really suit the books. They’re very similar… I like the colours, and the doodles on the models face.

Sorry this was so short… I couldn’t really think of that much to say about it. It’s a really good book and I would definitely recommend it 🙂

I give this book 9/10 because I want to know more about the characters…

This is the third and last book in the Divergent trilogy, I reviewed Divergent here, and Insurgent here. You should definitely read them first.

What if a single revelation – like a single choice – changed everything?What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered – fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature – and of herself – while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

The plot for this book seemed to lose its way a bit. The first book was so strong and well written I expected more from this one. I thought it was just a bit over complicated… I still loved it, but it did just seem to drag out a bit. there were bits that didn’t seem like they needed to be there, or were just there for the effect. I feel like it could really have been condensed down into two books instead of the three that it turned out to be.

It’s written very well, just like the other two books. This book, unlike the others, is written from two perspectives, Tris and Tobias. I loved seeing the other side of Tobias, I thought it really added something to the story. I think most of the characters have a background and are well rounded. They all seem to have reasons for being the way they are, whatever it may be.

The voice of both Tris and Tobias was really good. I found it was really descriptive, and it was great having both of them as they notice such different things. The dialogue in general was really good, sounded like actual people rather than robots, which I hate.

I adore the covers of all three of these books. There are two versions and I’m not sure which is which… But the one’s I’ve put in the reviews are the one’s I love. They’re just so pretty, I love the feathers in this one and the colour is just beautiful.

I enjoyed this book so much, when I say it ate me… I read it in five hours, all in one go. I don’t normally get quite that swallowed up by books, but I had waited for this book for so long… I loved it. I did cry at the end, but it’s worth it. And I think the ending, although sad (I’m not spoiling it, promise) is what would have happened… So even if it’s not what I would have done… It’s amazing.

I have already dragged my friends into this book… And they hate me for it… Because they had exactly the same reaction as me. I cried when I finished this book. It was sad, but truly it’s worth it, they’re all brilliant. The first one is my favourite, I just think its got the best story to it. But yes, I recommend this book, this trilogy highly.

I give this book 8/10 Because although I do love it, it’s not as good as the first one… Which I can’t remember what I scored. But it’s better than this one…

Sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is an ordinary teenager, who likes hanging out in Brooklyn with her friends. But everything changes the night she witnesses a murder, committed by a group of teens armed with medieval weaponry. The murderous group are Shadowhunters, secret warriors dedicated to driving demons out of this dimension and back into their own. Drawn inexorably into a terrifying world, Clary slowly begins to learn the truth about her family – and the battle for the fate of the world

This book took me a while to get into. And by I while I mean about a chapter or two… I really wanted to enjoy it as everyone else seemed to, and when I couldn’t see what was so great I nearly gave up. But after a couple of chapters I couldn’t put it down, it’s an amazing book. I got about half way through and ordered the next one… Which still hasn’t come and I’m on the edge of my seat!

Some of it was a bit predictable and I found that really annoying, but not that bad as most books are a bit. There were a few bits that I had kind of heard about before hand but didn’t really understand, so that was a bit confusing. Even though I’d kind of heard about it nothing prepared me for the plot twist. Ahhh! It’s so amazing! (Alison, don’t fangirl in reviews, bad girl) Right…

The writing was really good. I really loved Clary and how she couldn’t see how amazing she is. In some ways she was a bit perfect, but in other ways so flawed. The other characters also had that kind of hero side to them, that little bit of perfect. But they’re all just so confusing, like real people…

Personally it really is my kind of book, this is so perfect. It’s now one of my favourite books ever it that good. I have this list of books that I absolutely adore and tell all my friends to read, this is now at the top, I’ve seen people saying it’s better than Harry Potter, but I can’t decide, I think I love them both equally, which is pretty high praise.

I recommend this book so much to everyone, except small children…

I give this book 9 1/2/10 Because it took a while to get into to and that very nearly put me off… But don’t let it! It’s absolutely amazing, you should go and read it… Now… Go…

Charlie is a freshman. And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can’t stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Looking at that in a post it seems very long…

This book… I don’t know what to say about it…

It covers everything, sex, drugs, relationships, school, family problems, gay relationships, everything you could wonder about. It’s just a story of a boy growing up with his deeply confusing world, friends and family.

The book is written as letters from Charlie to a mystery “friend”. The letters follow Charlie through one year of his life. From August 1991 to August 1992.

The characters a brilliant, all of them so confusing and strange, more like real life than probably anything I’ve read. Same for Charlie, I don’t know how he’s so relatable, but he is. He’s so confused and confusing. He just reflects the confusion I personally feel inside.

The writing is really good, I still don’t feel I can comment on writing as I still don’t know very much about it, so it’s probably not the best opinion in the world, but I think it’s well written.

I saw the film before I read this book and I will try very hard to never do that ever again. I don’t like it, it’s like it’s already shaped what I think of the book and it’s characters. Which I can’t let happen. Even though I knew what was happening and what was coming it was incredibly powerful. Maybe it’s just me, but it left me in a daze. It was one of those books that took me out of my world and into his, while still relating to my life, it was like being stuck in limbo.

You should definitely read this book, I would, and will, recommend it to just about anyone. Although it is a little bit older and definitely not a children’s book. Once you’ve read it you should see the film, and if you’ve done what I did and seen it first, it’s definitely still worth the read 🙂

One day someone will hurt you. One day you won’t be able to recover. One day you’ll get lied to, and used. And one day you’ll learn exactly how to do that yourself.

It’s a cruel world, full of hate and greed. People use people to get what they want. People lie to save themselves And there are so many people who will just throw you into he water, to get themselves out.

But, if each and very one of us, decided to be good. To be good people. To help soften the blow. Then maybe this world wouldn’t be so hard. Maybe it could get better. Maybe we can restore the kindness I know every person has in them.

Not everything is lost, there is good in bad, and bad in good. Each and every person, however horrible they seem, can be an amazing person. They just need to be shown how.

And maybe, one day, if we all show one person how to be kind, and thoughtful, we can all live in a better, kinder world.

One year ago, my Dad walked into my room and said “Mummy’s having a baby” I sat up in alarm, heart racing “what!?” I got up the fastest I ever have, and helped.

One year ago, I looked down at the baby in my arms, not knowing his name or what he’d become, just seeing this beautiful child, pale with big blue eyes, searching my face, the only thing he could focus on. I remember so clearly, the feeling of holding my baby brother for thefirst time, the look on his face.

One year ago today, my baby brother was born, happy first birthday Tigerboy.